Boy, 16, among 2 wounded by cops in separate shootings

Peter Nickeas and Jeremy GornerTribune reporters

Two people were wounded by Chicago police in separate shootings overnight, including a 16-year-old boy who was shot in the head after a robbery in the Chatham neighborhood on the South Side, officials said.

Police say the teen pointed a gun at officers near 82nd Street and Drexel Avenue around midnight after they responded to a call of a robbery.

The officers had just questioned someone on the street when the person came running back saying he had been robbed.

The person pointed out the 16-year-old as the robber, and one of the officers ran after him while the other officer gave chase in the squad car, according to Pat Camden, a spokesman for the Fraternal Order of Police.

The foot chase went into a gangway and the 16-year-old fired at the officer and missed, authorities said.

The suspect kept running and again pointed his gun at police while trying to hop a fence and an officer returned fire, hitting the teen in the head, police said.

He was taken in critical condition to Stroger Hospital, Camden said. A gun was recovered at the scene, he said.

In the other incident, Englewood District officers were on patrol near 57th Street and Wolcott Avenue around 10 p.m. Sunday following reports of gunfire in the area over the last few days, authorities said.

The officers heard shots and saw at least one person in a group shooting at a house, authorities said, citing preliminary information.

Camden said three gunmen were shooting at the house. The officers approached the group and one of the three turned and pointed his gun at police. An officer opened fire, hitting the gunman in the leg, he said.

The suspect, a 27-year-old man, tried to run away but was arrested near 58th Street and Winchester Avenue, authorities said. He was taken to Stroger Hospital with at least one gunshot wound and a gun was recovered, authorities said.

A second of the three was also arrested, Camden said, and a weapon recovered from him too. A third person remains at large, he said.